BARBADIAN?swimmers Lani Cabrera and Alexis Clarke performed encouragingly in their maiden participation at the 15th FINA?World Swimming Championships at the Palau Sant Jordi complex in Barcelona earlier this month.
Cabrera’s coach Neal Studd of Florida Gulf Coast University, who attended the meet, said he was very impressed with both swimmers in their first outing.
He said that while they were not targeted to make the semi-finals, Cabrera and Clarke performed creditably.
“Their professionalism while representing their country was outstanding. I believe the experience of the world’s highest stage will empower them to future successes,” Studd said.
Cabrera dropped 12 seconds off her 2013 CCCAN silver medal performance in the 800-metre freestyle while Clarke posted a personal best time in the 200-metre freestyle.
Cabrera returns to Florida Gulf Coast University later this month while Clarke heads to Dubai for the 4th Junior World Swimming Championships.
Trinidadian George Bovell III was the top Caribbean finisher at the Championships with a bronze medal finish in the men’s 50-metre freestyle. He posted a time of 22.51 which was just 0.19 seconds off the gold place finish by Cielo Cezar of Brazil (21.32).
Alia Atkinson of Jamaica was ninth in the 100-metre breastroke with a time of 1:07.63 and 12th in the 50-metre breastroke with 31.27. Another Caribbean semifinalist was Bahamian Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace. She placed 15th in the 50-metre freestyle (25.24).
The United States topped the medal count with 33 medals, followed by China (26) and Russia (19).
Four world records were broken at the championships. American Katie Ledecky was chosen as the best female swimmer while Yang Sun of China was named the best male swimmer. The United States were also named as the best team of the Championships.
The next FINA World Championships are slated for Kazan, Russia in 2015. (PR/EZS)
